Frequently Asked Questions

Question: How did the Association for Health Promotion Ireland (AHPI) become a National Accreditation Organisation (NAO)?

Answer: AHPI successfully applied to the International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE) to be the NAO for the Republic of Ireland.

Question: What is a National Accreditation Organisation (NAO)?

Answer: NAOs are authorised by the IUHPE to undertake and maintain the national registration of

practitioners and to ensure that the practitioners are eligible to use the title ‘IUHPE Health Promotion Practitioner’.

Question: How is a NAO governed?

Answer: NAOs are required to establish a formal governance structure for their accrediting role by

establishing a Management Committee and sub-committees that ensure that all functions, roles and tasks are clear and understood.

Question: What are the eligibility criteria for being a registered health promotion practitioner?

Answer: There are three categories of eligibility:

Category 1. Graduates of a Health Promotion course (undergraduate or post graduate) which is accredited within the IUHPE Health Promotion Accreditation System. NOTE: this category applies only to those who have graduated since the date each course was accredited(A).

or

Category 2. Graduates of a Health Promotion course (undergraduate or post graduate) that is not accredited within the IUHPE Health Promotion Accreditation System or graduates of a course (undergraduate or post graduate) in other relevant disciplines(B) with a minimum of two years of experience as a Health Promotion practitioner(C) within the past five years.

or

Category 3. Practitioners who are not graduates of a Health Promotion course or a course in a relevant discipline, but who have acquired a minimum of three years of experience as a Health Promotion Practitioner(C) within the past five years (option available until 2021 only).

(A) The IUHPE has accredited the following three courses in Ireland: BA in Health Promotion, Waterford Institute of Technology (April 2014); Postgraduate Diploma/MA in Health Promotion, NUI Galway (February 2015); BSc Public Health & Health Promotion and BSc (Ord) Health Science & Physiology, Institute of Technology Sligo (September 2015). If you have graduated from any of these since their respective accreditation dates (in brackets), apply under Category 1.

(B). The agreed relevant courses are: public health, health education, social sciences including psychology, epidemiology, sociology, education, communication, environmental health, community, urban or rural development, political science. Other academic qualifications may also be deemed appropriate but must be approved by the Board of Directors at Global level.

(C) The IUHPE define a Health Promotion Practitioner as ''a person who works to promote health and reduce health inequities using the actions described by the Ottawa Charter''

Question: How are applications assessed?

Answer: Applications for registration will be assessed by two Assessors from an Assessment Panel that has been established by AHPI.
All Assessors have received training in the assessment processes as set out by IUHPE

The assessment process for the registration/re-registration of Health Promotion practitioners may result in applicants being:

Registered

Not registered, but eligible for registration on provision of additional information/clarification

within a four week period. Details of information required to meet the criteria will be provided

Denied registration based on failure to meet criteria or non-payment of required fees.

Question: What happens if my application to be registered is successful?

Answer: If the application is successful and the fees are paid, the applicant’s name will be added to the professional register for Ireland and the IUHPE, and the applicant will be awarded the professional title ‘IUHPE Health Promotion Practitioner’.

Question: Can I appeal if I don’t agree with the decision of the Assessors?

Answer: Yes, an Appeals Procedure is available to those practitioners who have been denied entry to the register and who wish to appeal the decision.

Question: If my application to be registered is denied due to failure to meet the criteria, am I able to reapply?

Answer: Yes, you can reapply. Feedback will be provided in areas where extra information is required.

Question: How long does a registration last?

Answer: Successful applicants are registered for a period of 3 years. Over the intervening period registered practitioners are required to undertake Continuous Professional Development (CPD) activities, which will be the basis for re-registration.

Question: When will I be able to apply for registration?

Answer: AHPI plans to launch the system in mid-October 2017.

Question: How much will it cost to be registered?

Answer: There are two fees.

An application fee which is paid when you apply for registration. This is non-refundable. Current application fees are €25 for AHPI members and €30 for other applicants. Until the end of 2018, the application fee for graduates of IUHPE accredited courses has been waived (i.e. there is no fee for those eligible under Category no. 1).

The Registration fee - successful applicants will be asked to pay a registration fee which is valid for 3 years. The Registration fee is €75 for AHPI members and €100 for all other applicants.

Question: What happens at the end of my 3-year registration period?

Answer: After 3 years, the practitioner is required to re-apply for registration. This will involve providing details of Continuing Professional Development activities and work experience that have been completed during the past 3 years. More information will be available in a new section on CPD on the AHPI website later in 2017.

Question: How much CPD will I be required to undertake to be eligible for re-registration at the end of the 3-year registration period?

Answer: 75 hours of CPD is required to be completed over the 3-year registration period. Further details on eligible CPD activities will be provided later in 2017.

Question: Is it mandatory for employers to employ registered health promotion practitioners?

Answer: No, the registration system offers employers an opportunity to identify applicants who have become a registered health promotion practitioner (and satisfied the eligibility criteria) but the decision to make this a mandatory criterion for employment will be at the employer’s discretion.

Question: Is registration recognised by CORU (Health & Social Care Professionals Council for Ireland)?

Answer: No, it is not recognised by CORU. AHPI will be engaging with CORU once the system is live to inform them of the global developments in HP Competencies and Registration.